Dayid haig pueves



(No Model.)

D. H. PURVES.

GOAT ADJUSTER. No. 370,209. I Patented Sept. 20, 1887.

WITNESSES IN VENTOR: %4 ram; %2%

ATTORNEYS.

@J I BY J M/w UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

. DAVID HAIG PURVES, OF WADDINGTON, NEW YORK.

COAT-ADJUSTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 370.209, datedSeptember 20, 1887.

Application filed March 16, 1887.

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, DAVID HAIG PURVES, of Waddington, in the county ofSt. Lawrence and State of New York, have invented a new and ImprovedGoat-Adjuster, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

My invention relates to a device for assisting aged, infirm, sick, orother persons to easily put on overcoats or other outer garments withoutassistance of other persons, and has for its object to provide a simple,inexpensive, and effective device of this character, adapted for use inclothing-stores, hotels, private dwellings, and other places.

The invention consists in certain novel features of construction andcombinations of parts of the coat-adjuster, all as hereinafter describedand claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a front view of my improved coat-adj uster as it appearsready to apply the coat to it and with thelever shown in locked positionin dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a front view of the device as it appearsafter the coat has been put on by a person using the device and theclamp opened to release the coat. Fig. 3 is a side view of the adjuster,and Fig. 4 is a plan View of the coat-clamp of the adjuster.

A suitable frame, A, adapted to be held to a wall or partition by screwsa passed through it, is provided with a couple of plates or keepers, BB, in which the post 0, carrying a clamp, D, at its head, is adapted toslide. This clamp consists of a metal bar, E, preferably flattened atits central part and bent outward in about asemicircular form to itsends, which are flattened and bent slightly upward to form lower jaws, ee, and a metal bar, F, which is pivoted in keepers e e on the bar E, andis also bent outward at its ends to form upper jaws, ff, which areadapted to clamp a coat-collar onto or against the lower jaws, e e, ofthe device.

An arm, G, is fixed to the clamp-bar F, and extends backward from thebar and is connected by a rod, H, with the end of the short Serial No.231,154. (No model.)

arm ofalever, I, which is fulcrumed at i to a metal plate, J, fixed tothe post 0. The long arm of the lever extends to one side of the frameand over a metal rack-bar, K, which is formed on or fixed to the plateJ, and has downwardly-ranging teeth adapted to hold the lever. This longarm and rack therefore form a lock or retainer for holding the jaws ofthe clamp closed. A spring, L, attached at one end to the lever I and atthe other end to 2. lug on the rack-bar, or it may be on the frame, actsnormally to lift the long arm of the lever and open the jaws of theclamp. It will thus be seen that the clamp is made vertically movable onits support or frame, and the lock is connected to the clamp by thepost, and is therefore movable with the clamp.

A rod, m, which forms the trip or releasing device, is bent at the endsand fixed to the frame A, and ranges along the rack-bar K beneath thelever I, and the face of the rod stands at an incline or overhangs atthe top, so as to allow the lever to be engaged with the rackwhen theclamp is down and automatically disengage the lever from the rack as theclamp is raised.'

The operation of the device is as follows: \Vhen the clamp is lowered,as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, the collar of a coat, cloak, orouter garment will be laid on the lower jaws, c e, of the open clamp,and the outer end of the lover I will be lowered to close the clamp ontothe collar and hold the garment firmly with its inner side out or towardthe person who is to put it on, and the lever will be engaged with therack-bar K to hold the clamp closed. The person will now slip his armsinto the sleeves of the garment and draw the shoulders to place, andwill then resume an erect posture or stand on tiptoe, which will causethe clamp and its connected locking-lever to move vertically on theframe until the said lever is thrown out of the rack-bar K by theinclined face of the rod m, which will open the clamp D and release thecoat or garment now upon its owner, and when the coat-collar is drawnfrom the clamp the latter will fall to its original position, ready tobe used again.

It is obvious that a device of this kind will enable infirm or sickpersons to put on overcoats or cloaks without the aid of another person,and the device will be serviceable in private residences as well as inclothing'stores, hotels, or other places.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. A garment-holder comprising a vertically-movable clamp, a supporttherefor, a lock or retainer connected to and movable with the clamp forlocking it when closed, and a relatively stationary trip or releasingdevice constructed to release thelook when the clamp and lock are movedupwardly, substantially as set forth.

2. A garment-holder comprising a vertically movable clamp, a support orframe therefor, an operating-lever connected to and movable with theclamp, a rack for the lever, also movable with the clamp, and arelatively stationary trip in the path of the said lever for throwing itout of engagement with the rack, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, in a coat-adj uster, of a frame or support, A, apost, 0, adapted to slide thereon, a clamp, D, held 10 the post andcomprising bars E F, having jaws e f, respectively, an arm, G, fixed tobar F, a lever, I, fulcrumed on the plate J, a rod, H, connecting theparts G I, and a rack-bar, K, adapted to engage and lock the lever I,substantially as shown and described.

4. The combination, in a coat-adjustenofa frame or support, A, a post,0, adapted to lever when the clamp is lifted, substantially I as shownand described.

DAVID HAIG PURVES. [1,. s]

Witnesses:

RoBT. THOMPSON, WILLIE L. PURVES.

